New study shows devices at the edge of the network present serious
risk for data loss

June 02, 2014 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Code42,
the leader in endpoint data protection and management, today released a
study revealing that enterprises are at an increasing risk for data loss
due to the growing amount of company data stored on endpoints—the
laptops, smartphones, tablets and other devices which reside on the edge
of the network. Code42 is distributing the report in conjunction with
Backup Awareness Month, held annually in June to build awareness about
the increasing role of data in people’s lives and the importance of
regular backups.

The study, “Why
Endpoint Backup is More Critical than Ever,” a commissioned
Technology Adoption Profile conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf
of Code42, is based on surveys of more than 1,200 IT decision-makers and
employees at U.S.-based enterprise companies. The results show an
increasing number of employees use a combination of laptops, tablets and
smartphones for work purposes. This growing “anywhere, anytime,
any-device” workplace means corporate data stored locally on devices is
at a heightened risk of being lost or stolen since it resides outside
the safety of the data center and enterprise firewall.

The study also points to the onus on IT to protect data on the devices
on which employees work. “Over half of employees surveyed for
Forrester’s Devices and Security Workforce Survey Q2 2013 assume their
companies back up their most important files, whether or not this is
actually true. However, many employees will also use their own methods
of protecting critical data, especially if there is no corporate
offering. Case in point: 41 percent of employees back up critical files
using a flash drive or CD/DVD, and 28 percent back up to an external
hard drive or server they own.”

Fortunately, organizations recognize the importance of endpoint backup,
and for good reason. According to the Forrester study, 85 percent of
organizations that have adopted—or plan to adopt—endpoint backup
solutions cite improving business continuity/disaster recovery as the
top driver. Just under half of organizations attribute adoption to
employees storing critical data on endpoints, followed by 43 percent
wishing to maintain control of data, and 34 percent pointing to
e-discovery and/or legal hold through centralization as a driver.

According to Forrester Consulting, “Nearly two-thirds of respondents
indicated that their organization has experienced data loss at the
endpoint due to reasons such as lost or stolen devices or accidental
deletion of files.” The study also states, “relying on traditional
firewalls and local file shares is no longer enough when it comes to
securing and backing up this critical, sensitive data.”

“This new study demonstrates employees create and access company data on
tablets, laptops and phones from anywhere at any time, at the risk of
data loss,” said Brian Bell, president and chief operating officer at
Code42. “Most don’t intentionally expose corporate data to risk; they’re
just doing what it takes to get their work done. So it’s up to
enterprise IT to make sure data on devices is protected. Once that
data’s backed up, your company can more easily take on initiatives
around e-discovery, legal hold, disaster recovery and data migration.
Endpoint backup is really the foundation for a comprehensive data
governance strategy.”

Code42’s endpoint data protection and management solutions for the
enterprise reduce the burden on IT by empowering employees. The
company’s user-friendly enterprise applications—CrashPlan
and SharePlan—consistently
achieve the highest user adoption rates in the industry. Employees can
easily share, access and recover data from their computer or preferred
mobile device. Enterprises choose from managed
private, public or hybrid clouds, all backed by the company’s
unmatched customer support and 97 percent satisfaction rate.

Code42
is the endpoint data protection and management company that provides
secure, integrated file sharing and backup at work, at home and
everywhere in-between. The company’s award-winning products have become
the gold standard for the enterprise, trusted by the most recognized
brands in business and education, including Accenture, Procter & Gamble,
Genentech/Roche and Harvard. Code42 is headquartered in Minneapolis and
backed by Accel
Partners and Split
Rock Partners. For more information on the company and its
solutions, visit www.code42.com.